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The spiders were female golden silk orb-weavers, called Batik golden-web spiders. That refers to the color of the spider’s silk and its back pattern (Batik-like), but not body color. Their silk is almost the strength of Kevlar used in flak jackets.
The gold may attract bees to snare. Spiders adjust how much web color to existing light levels and forest coloration. Most spiders have two claws per foot; these have three, using the third to help handle their threads while spinning beautiful, sometimes-frustrating webs. Males, one-fifth females’ size, often live on a female’s web and inconspicuously steal food. She may not even notice him creeping up and inseminating her while she feeds.
Females lay eggs in autumn, in a hole they dig and line with woolly silk. They lay their eggs, cover them with more silk, and finally a layer of debris and soil. Newly-hatched spiderlings are immature, with egg yolk attached, and without developed mouth parts, venom glands, digestive tracts or spinning organs. Dormant through the winter, come spring they leave their nest, often staying with nest-mates. They grow, molt and disperse. Young don’t spin gold webs, but always vertical ones, maybe even near ground level.
Golden silk orb-weavers’ venom is potent, a neurotoxin similar to, but not as powerful as, black widows. It’s not lethal to humans, causing only local pain and redness with blisters. Bites aren’t common because Batiks flee or drop to the ground when disturbed. However, they have eaten hummingbirds. We try to take down webs in our yard during the hummers’ fall migration.
Another common orb-weaver in Victoria is the Black-and-yellow Argiope. Unlike Batiks, they prefer sunny areas among flowers, shrubs and tall plants, but not trees. Argiopes are large, colorful, but with hairless legs and six eyes on their rounded head. Their webs are circular, colorless and somewhat smaller. Many weave heavy zig-zagging near their web’s center.
Our mistflower beds have Argiopes. They capture butterflies, June-bugs and skippers for food. They locate their webs too low to ensnare hummingbirds, so we leave them to their business. Be careful because they’re venomous, like Batiks. Fortunately, they’re also as shy as Batiks.
If you want to get a good picture of either species, hit the woods or the garden in the morning to catch dew reflecting off their beautiful circular webs.
Paul and Mary Meredith are master naturalists. Contact them at paulmary0211@sbcglobal.net.